


up on the rooftop

by BuddysImpala



Category: The Greatest Showman (2017)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Christmas fic, Christmas present, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Merry Christmas, Mostly Fluff, barlyle - Freeform, early christmas present, inspired by AskBarnum on Tumblr, phineas needs a hug, very light angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:48:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21896920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BuddysImpala/pseuds/BuddysImpala
Summary: Phineas decides to surprise Phillip in the one way that means the most to him.
Relationships: Charity Barnum/P.T. Barnum (mentioned; past), P. T. Barnum/Phillip Carlyle
Comments: 5
Kudos: 58





	up on the rooftop

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Inphinity](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inphinity/gifts).



> Inspired by an ask (that I sent, OOPS) that was answered by AskBarnum on Tumblr.
> 
> Up on the rooftop, reindeer paws— no, wait, my bad, that’s just Barlyle.

Not only was being blindfolded the most clichè way to be surprised, Phillip was also certain it was one of the most dangerous. He groaned as he hit his knee against the corner of a wall, and instinctively reached down to rub away the ache. Larger hands stopped him and enveloped his own hands in impossible warmth.

A soft kiss at his ear. “No time to stop, darling. We’re almost there.”

“Phineas, really. Can’t you at least tell me where this ‘surprise’ is? Surely there’s no point in—“

“Why, that would ruin the surprise!”

Phillip didn’t have to see Phineas to know that he was grinning. He groaned.

“What sort of surprise has a geographical location?” he muttered.

“Only the best.”

“You’ve already given me a new house.”

“‘Us,’ darling. I’ve given  _ us _ a new house.” Phillip could hear the grin in his voice now. “That wasn’t a surprise so much as it was a necessity. I had to get you away from those wretched parents of yours, didn’t I?”

Phillip sighed again. “Phine— ow!” He ran straight into something solid, stubbing his toe, and immediately felt Phineas’s hands on him again, steadying his balance.

“Sorry, sorry. That was my bad, I got a bit... carried away. Up you go, now.”

“Up?” Phillip echoed.

“Yes. They’re called stairs, dear Phillip. Quite the helpful platform for going up and— hey!”

Phineas broke off in a laugh as Phillip turned and swatted at him, missing wildly. He didn’t even catch the older man’s coat, something Phineas insisted they both wore despite the fact that they were evidently  _indoors_ , and Phillip was beginning to get a little warm around the collar. 

“Humph,” Phineas pouted in mock-annoyance, “Fine, then. I guess I’ll just leave you to climb these stairs by yourself.”

Phillip gasped and made a wild grab for him, this time latching onto and clutching his arm. “No!”

He could practically picture Phineas tapping his chin, pretending to think about it. “I don’t know—“

“Phineas, I’ll fall!”

This time, the older man chuckled and Phillip was wrapped into an invisible, strong embrace as Phineas kissed his forehead. “You know I wouldn’t let that happen.” He pulled away, this time taking hold of Phillip’s hand.He gave it a gentle squeeze. “Now, up you get.”

Phillip clutched to Phineas for dear life as they began the slow ascend up the stairs. At first, it felt like he was walking a tightrope, but that was ridiculous. At least Anne and W.D. could  see while they were up in the air. 

When his feet touched solid ground that stretched out in front of him, he nearly wept with relief.

They walked for a short while down what seemed to be a hallway with no twists or turns. Finally, Phineas stopped them.

“Ah, here we are.”

A moment went by, nothing happened. Then Phillip heard a soft jangle and the sound of a knob unlocking, turning. Opening.

He gasped when the cold air hit him.

“You can take the blindfold off now, darling.”

Phillip opened his mouth to reply, but his teeth had started to chatter. Phineas chuckled, and then Phillip felt warm hands undoing the knot at the back of his head.

He gasped again once he could see.

They stood upon a rooftop overlooking New York. The city stretched on before them as Phillip gaped in wide-eyed wonder. Around them, snowflakes fluttered and fell from the sky. The stars seemed the brightest they’d ever been and he tilted his head back, lips parting just slightly, for any sight of constellations.

He turned when he felt the hand on the back of his neck, and looked up at Phineas. Phineas, who was looking down at him, awaiting his reaction.

“It’s beautiful,” Phillip mumbled. Though his fingers were already growing cold, he reached up and threaded them through Phineas’s hair, pulling him close. His lips just barely brushed against Phineas’s as he mumbled, “How did you find this place?”

Phineas’s eyes were sad and loving. He stepped back, cradling Phillip’s cheek in his hand as he spoke. “Charity and I used to live in this building. We would dance up here, for hours it seemed, until we couldn’t dance anymore.” His smile was small and sad.

“Oh, Phin...”

Phineas cleared his throat. “She would love to know that I’ve brought somebody else up here. I wish you could have met her.”

Phillip took Phineas’s hand and gently squeezed. “I would have loved to.”

Phineas nodded and cleared his throat again. Phillip thought he saw tears in his eyes. “Would you like to dance, darling?”

A small smile tugged at Phillip’s lip and he rose his hand, cupping Phineas’s cheek in his palm. “It would be an honor.”

So Phineas took him by the hand and they fell into a slow, swaying rhythm. Phillip was a little cold, but the combination of his coat (he understood the purpose now) and Phineas’s warmth kept the temperature bearable. 

He was comfortable in their slow dance, just beginning to relax and lean into Phineas, when Phineas twirled him. The older man let out a laugh at his startled cry and pulled him ever closer, their noses brushing as they kissed.

“Charity and I, we used to run around this rooftop and dance from end to end. I’d do the same now, but — well, most of the times we came up here, we didn’t have an ice issue.”

Phillip’s eyes widened and he peered around Phineas, eyeing the roof’s edge. “Don’t let me fall, Phin.”

“Never in a million years,” Phineas whispered, voice gruff. This time, when Phillip looked up, Phineas didn’t bother to hide the tears that started to roll down his cheeks.

Phillip rose up on tiptoe, pressing his lips to a tear streak. “I love you, Phineas.”

Phineas smiled sadly. Then he dipped Phillip low, muffling his startled gasp with a deep kiss, winding an arm around Phillip to keep him steady. When they straightened, Phineas broke the kiss and pressed his lips to the corner of Phillip’s mouth.

“Merry Christmas, dear Phillip.”

And they danced on.

**Author's Note:**

> Comment if you wanna, and Merry Christmas 😌


End file.
